The Safe Spaces Podcast / safepodcast.com: Recent Episodes
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That’s right: it’s the Safe Spaces Podcast, now delivering its semi-regular greatness with Episode 83! With much of the country suffering through the never-ending pandemic, the never-ending election cycle and – sadly – what seems like the never-ending stupidity that threatens us all.
Welcome back to the Safe Spaces Podcast – now serving Episode 82! We’ve got a doozy this time as our hosts talk sexualized mollusks, white supremacy, unnamed hate groups and why virtual reality will never (ever) work and – of course – the first (and possibly) only Presidential Debate of 2020.
Joining us on this this special episode is writer/director Justin Malone, here to talk about his blockbuster new documentary, Uncle Tom: An Oral History of the American Black Conservative, an exploration of the cultural challenges and psychological abuse facing black Americans who often find themselves denigrated and insulted, their very identities as "black" questioned and easily dismissed.
The Safe Spaces Podcast reaches Episode 81! And with that octogenarian milestone comes a slew of headlines either gripping the nation’s pulse – or threatening to flatline it. Either way, our hosts will do their best to keep things not just fresh and tasty but just irreverent enough to let off a little steam. Ready to get to it? Let’s get to it.
The Space Spaces Podcast reaches a true milestone with Episode 80, possibly our longest and most jam-packed episode yet. How could we resist, with much of the world affected by massive protests and social upheaval? With so many exhausted by the coronavirus quarantine it can be a struggle to remain positive, but we’ll do our best to lighten the mood and smooth the edges. Let's get to it.
It’s Episode 79 of the Safe Spaces Podcast – still pumping out aural greatness, despite a viral pandemic, and still delivering the goods totally gratis in your time of need. Not that we wouldn’t mind a few coins in our coffers (ahem), but on with the show!
The Safe Spaces Podcast is here, alive and well, operating despite lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, and ready to help keep away the mainstream media blues that have most of the nation in a pandemic panic. That's not us - because we're safely behind miles of silicon and microphones. We're the real heroes here, and don't you forget it.
In this special episode of the Safe Spaces Podcast our hosts venture into a field they seldom tread these days – pure politics. With 2020 being a highly contested election year it was bound to happen sooner or later, but what’s made this season’s ideological match-up so intriguing hasn’t just been the number of Democrat challengers hoping to replace President Donald Trump, but the pure ideological schism that’s emerged between the moderate and progressive leftist candidates.
It’s the Safe Spaces Podcast – Episode 76! It’s also the first episode of the new month, year and decade, making it a triple-threat of politically incorrect goodness that’s worth the wait.
Goodbye 2019, Hello 2020! As we ring out yet another year of memories, events and other miscellany the Safe Spaces Podcast is here to help remind you that we're about to do it all over again.
After a too-long break the Safe Space Podcast returns for even more sanity-saving fun and informational frivolity! And just in time, too, as the world (and your brain) could use a heaping dose of distractions and diversions from the utter madness of daytime television and never-ending stream of political bullplop.
It’s the Safe Spaces Podcast! Back from a well-deserved summer break, ready to dive right into what’s shaking up the culture in all the worst possible ways. Let's get started!
It’s the Safe Spaces Podcast – now serving Episode 72! For those keeping track, that’s one higher than Arnold Schwarzenegger (aged 71) and one less than Sylvester Stallone (aged 73). We’re like the world’s ugliest Goldilocks…not too young, not too old, but just right where we need to be. For now.
It’s the Safe Spaces Podcast! Episode 71! Tornado Edition! That’s right: as a good portion of the country is beset by dangerous twisters and swirling death, your brave little hosts are here to take a closer look at what’s been making the rest of the nation spin. Speaking of spin: never let a potential killer twister get in the way of that all-important finale of The Bachelorette.
First an update on Disney/Marvel’s Captain Marvel, the studios’ first female-led superhero blockbuster that turned out to be…a real blockbuster! One month after debuting in theaters everywhere, the Brie Larson-led Avengers prequel has grossed over a billion (!) dollars worldwide, eclipsing the last female-powered superhero epic, DC’s Wonder Woman. Everywhere but the United States, it seems, which is a big surprise to our co-hosts.
The Safe Spaces Podcast has finally reached that most magical of magical numbers – Episode 69. Had we been anything less than consummate professionals or mature adults such a milestone might elicit many chuckles and guffaws. That’s not us. Nope. We’re better than that. You’re better than that. Together, we can overcome our base instincts.
It’s the Safe Spaces Podcast! Switching servers and saving lives, we’re back to help sort the rabble from the rousing. Speaking of rabble rousing, Representative Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House and second in succession line for Presidency, would like to wish each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving! In February! Who said miracles can’t happen?
It’s the first Safe Spaces Podcast episode of 2019 – we’re only a month late! After taking a necessary break to refuel the fires, we’re back with a focused look at what’s shaking the current culture in ways that are 1.) highly informative and 2.) highly entertaining. That so many just happen to be both is like Christmas in February (but not an actual Christmas, because then the movies would be better).
It’s Christmastime once again, boys and girls (of whom we’ll let decide who is what for themselves), which can only mean it’s our yearly Christmas Movie Special Spectacular! Comfortably nestled in Santa’ sleigh are jolly elves Nate Evans and Herman Exum, who tally their favorites – both Naughty and Nice – to bring you the most complete list of the best, worst and ‘other’ Christmas movies and holiday specials for your holiday bucket list. Until next year, anyway!
Have you seen Welcome to Marwen, the new film by acclaimed director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump), or have plans to see it? If early box-office reporting has anything to say about this…probably not. While the film’s trailer gathered early attention for its use of photorealistic CG animation alongside actors as distinguished as Steve Carrell and Leslie Mann, transforming them into living dolls in order to cinematically bring to life the tragic real-life story of Mark Hogancamp’s savage beating by five men for expressing a love of women’s shoes, and his subsequent creation of a fictional town populated by dolls where he produced astonishingly beautiful photographs to help deal with his trauma.
It’s the Safe Spaces Podcast Pre-Thanksgiving Special! Well, it’s special to us, anyway. As millions ready themselves to crisscross around the country to mingle with people they can’t stand to be around most of the time, it’s good to remember the true spirit of the holiday: gorging yourself on both white and dark meat. Obesity should always be inclusive.
It’s the Safe Spaces Podcast – back from an unexpected hiatus due to unforeseen illness, scheduling conflicts and other general all-purpose calamities. But we persist, often against titanic odds and more. Sometimes, that’s what it takes to bring you this smorgasbord of politically incorrect, often shockingly stupid cross-section of our modern culture. We’re not heroes - we just talk that way.
After a few weeks off for a much-needed siesta (and backend retooling) the Safe Spaces Podcast returns with another episode chock-full of scintillating analysis of what’s dominating the zeitgeist both large and small. Even better, sit back and enjoy snippets from your new favorite show, Just William, a moldy oldie from BBC’s distant past based on Richmal Crompton’s pre-war books for young adults. Better still, meet Violet Elizabeth Bott, the adorable little girl who aims feminine guilt at opponents with pinpoint precision, threatening anyone who dare deny her that she’ll “thcream and thcream ’till I’m thick“, and it usually works. Start the fan club now, boys and girls. Just kidding – no boys allowed!
It’s another thrilling episode of the Safe Spaces Podcast! Our stalwart host Nathan Evans is once again joined by perpetually grumpy tech guru Herman Exum are back to their favorite stories that drove them bonkers over the last two weeks. They put themselves through the ringer so you don’t have to – there’s only so much hair-pulling before the roots start showing, so on with the show!
It’s the Safe Spaces Podcast! You’ll probably notice there’s no episode number this time around, but that doesn’t make it any less special. Big changes are coming to the best free speech podcast money can buy (we’d love some money if you wanna send, just saying), including some key personality swaps that can’t be avoided. All good things, however, and we’re doing it without missing a beat.
The Safe Spaces Podcast reaches its monumental Episode 60! And we’re not slowing down anytime soon, which means more (podcast) bang for your (podcast) buck. Considering we serve this politically engaging dialogue up totally gratis, that’s quite a deal. Enjoy!
It’s the Safe Spaces Episode 59! That’s almost 60… but not quite. The theme running through this episode is one that’s near and dear to our hearts: civil discussion. Is such a thing even possible in an era of politically incorrect snafus, hyper-sensitive tweeting and – of course – trumped up outrage? We’d like to think so, but we’ve been wrong, time and time again. What makes you think this time would be any different?
It’s the Safe Spaces Podcast – Episode 58! For this groundbreaking occasion our hosts take a much-needed break from the daily madness that’s been infecting every nook, cranny and available crevice of the news cycle, ignoring the growing incivility and general insanity in favor of something a bit more lively: 90s sitcoms!
It’s the Safe Spaces Podcast! Episode 58! That’s a lot of episodes, and we’ve got lots more to talk about. Tons more. Let’s get right to it!
It’s another guest-filled episode of the Safe Spaces Podcast – and by guest we mean just one, but that’s more than enough! On deck is Corey Janzen, aka Mr. Dragonbeard from ApostacyNow.net, joining our insatiably intrepid hosts as they take on several of the most incendiary news bits of the day. Here we go!
It’s the Safe Spaces Podcast – now serving an incredible Episode 56! Get ready to hear our stunning and brave co-hosts take on the week’s most distressing and degrading news bits, as chosen by the perpetually outraged and never satisfied. Plus, listen as they heroically attempt to reclaim their beloved Planet of the Apes franchise from the racism crowd. Our hairy friends deserve better!
It’s the Safe Spaces Podcast – Episode 55; just in time for a world gone mad, which means you’re going to need a dose of sanity to get you through the week. Behold – your brief respite from a cold, uncaring world that continually appears to have lost its damn mind. Bon Appétit!
It’s the Safe Spaces Podcast – Episode 54! The timing couldn’t be any better as May 5th, 2018 was the 200th anniversary of the birth of Karl Marx, author of The Communist Manifesto and (eventual) progenitor of the planned state. The Utopian Dream, you might say. Despite nearly two-hundred years of abject failures, genocides, famine and repression there’s still a sizable contingent of folk out there that still hold Marx and his philosophy in high regard. There’s no accounting for taste.
It’s the Safe Spaces Podcast – now serving a delicious and intellectually nutritious Episode 53! In a week filled with absolutely bonkers political nonsense and tepid revelations, we’re keeping things civil and straightforward: no porn stars or Russian collusion here, folks. With that said – on with the show!
It’s Episode 52 of the Safe Spaces Podcast! Chronologically, if we still went by weeks and pure episodic counting that would have made this our official one-year anniversary. However, since we chose to muck things up instead, shake the boat if you will, that’s totally not the case. Nevertheless, on with the show!
It’s Episode 51 of the Safe Spaces Podcast – now leaner, meaner, and more download-friendly than ever before! As we switch over to our new twice-monthly format, here’s another jam-packed episode brimming with politically incorrect goodness and sensible arguments. Yes, it’s totally possible to have both!
Happy Anniversary! It’s our birthday – sort of. The Safe Spaces Podcast celebrates its first anniversary with an extra-special Episode 50 chock-full of plenty of controversial muck-raking and zeitgeist grabbing headlines guaranteed to titillate, infuriate, and inspire heated conversation across the country. So yeah, same as always. Why fix what ain’t broken?
It’s the Safe Spaces Podcast Episode 49 – Road Trip Edition! That’s right, fans and foes alike: one of your favorite Space Spaces hosts embarks on a cross-country trip in the last comfortable way possible, recording this very episode on the road – literally! We’re not even kidding – it’s space-age stuff. So please forgive any technical hiccups as we’ve got the best crackerjack production team limited funds can buy on the case!
It’s the Safe Spaces Podcast, now on Episode 48! It’s a somber mood for your trusty co-hosts as they do their best to avoid the inevitable “unpleasantness’ you’ll find elsewhere, so forgive the innuendo as we attempt to lighten the mood with some more much-needed distractions about – what else? – racism and sexism! Oh, boy!
It’s Safe Spaces Episode 47! It’s an episode marked by illness, technical hiccups, and so much more. Excuse our tardiness as we hammer things out – on with the show!
It’s the Safe Space Podcast, now serving up an oversized Episode 46! Our first-year anniversary is nearly here, so why not settle down for a jam-packed episode that spans everything from radical activism, the #MeToo movement gone awry, President Trump, and one totally unhinged Hollywood starlet who could use a break from the spotlight. On with the show!
The Space Spaces Podcast arrives at Episode 45; not quite acclaimed, but still hanging in there on the edge of breakout success and looking mighty good in the process. When you’re near the bottom things are always looking on the bright side (literally), and there’s nowhere else to go but up. Because, after all, it’s an honor just to be nominated. Now all we have to do is get ourselves nominated for something.
It’s the Safe Spaces Podcast! Now delivering a tasty, fat-friend Episode 44 directly to your podcast app, streaming service, or “other” device-of-choice. As we inch closer to our incredible One-Year anniversary of ignoring naysayers and exercising the choicest of free speech choices, there’s much to snag and grub on in this high-calories episode of fat-shaming fun!
It’s Safe Spaces Episode 43! And what a number that is. What better way to get the party started than with a little help from Tommy Wiseau (The Room)…or is that James Franco (playing Wiseau in The Disaster Artist)? In this climate of perpetual grievances, it’s hard to tell what’s offensive or who’s being offensive anymore. On with the show!
The Safe Space Podcast returns to help ring in New Year as only our brave hosts can – pretty much just like the last one. That’s great news for loyal listeners and fans who’ve yet to be disenchanted with the unfiltered truth and battles against politically incorrect nonsense clogging up your television, monitor, and smartphone screens.
The Safe Spaces Podcast celebrates not just our monumental Episode 41, but Christmas – and all chronologically related holidays around it with our special Christmas Movie/Show related show. That’s right: all Christmas related movies, shows, and other fascinating trivia are under the tree in this jingle bell of an episode. No coal lumps here, boys and girls, even if you’ve been naughty (and you’ve all been pretty darn naughty this year).
On this special truncated episode of the Safe Spaces we’re celebrating not just Episode 40, but a brand-new episode of Star Wars as George Lucas’ saga turns 40 with the release of Star Wars (Episode 8): The Last Jedi. Leaving the turbulent world of politics and cultural insanity aside, our co-hosts use the force to focus on just a single topic. But man alive, what a topic.
It’s the penultimate episode (before Christmas) of Space Spaces as we’ve reached magic number 39; to help celebrate we’ve got a real doozy for curious listeners. Has there ever been a time when so much talk about sex has been anything but sexy? Yup, it’s gonna be one of those shows – best settle in now.
It’s the first episode of the Safe Spaces Podcast following Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2017 – and we’re still alive! Alive and kicking, actually, which is great if you’re a subscriber. New episodes are always good, and that’s exactly what you’re getting in this post-Thanksgiving second helping of politically incorrect leftovers. It’s all gravy, baby; no filler.
It’s a Safe Spaces Thanksgiving Special! Well, kind of. For Episode 37 we’ve got a post-Turkey Day show overstuffed with politically incorrect goodness, laced with all the trimmings you’d expect. A heartfelt goodbye to television icon Della Reese (RIP) leads the way to bigger, uglier things. The turkeys might be digesting, but there’s plenty of leftovers worth reheating.
The Safe Spaces Podcast has reached Episode 36, a real cultural milestone where parades and other niceties wouldn’t be frowned on (if we’re being truthful). In the absence of such things, however, we’ll settle for a good old-fashioned roundtable of the latest cultural fracas. Sexual assault, harassment, and other sensitive stuff is off the table this week, so no trigger warnings are necessary.
The Safe Spaces Podcast reaches a historic Episode 35, which in people years means we’d be eligible to run for President of the United States. Can a podcast fun for the highest office in the land? Stranger things have happened, and we’re not talking about a certain Netflix show…
Episode 34 of the Safe Spaces Podcast kicks off with a look backward – to the 1990s! That’s right, our favorite family sitcom featuring anthropomorphic dinosaurs returns with a clip that’s entirely relevant in these crazy times when freedom of speech itself has become controversial. What a world we live in when talking dinosaurs make more sense than politicians and the educated elite. Gotta love me!
Happy Halloween everyone! You’ve reached the Safe Spaces Podcast, now serving a piping hot Episode 33, complete with a new opening montage and wonderfully appropriate sample from the best werewolf movie ever made. It’s got horror! Comedy! Thrills! Chills! Yes, we’re talking about An American Werewolf in London, but we’re also talking Safe Spaces. Come join the fun…we won’t bite. OK, maybe just a nibble.
The Safe Spaces Podcast – now running at a cool Episode 32 and better than ever! Well, at least better than last week, which means progress. And progress is good, especially when you’ve got the weight of the world on your meager shoulders. Or a podcast to record. Same thing, when you think about it.
The Safe Spaces Podcast hits Episode 31 without missing a beat! As fires rage in California and the threat of nuclear annihilation persists across the Pacific, the world turns to the only podcast worth a damn. OK, one of the only podcasts worth a damn. A pretty good, at the very least. We swear.
Welcome back to the Safe Spaces Podcast – now hitting a glorious Episode 30! As the numbers continue to climb and our social media hasn’t been (fingers-crossed) suspended yet again, things are starting to look better than ever. With that in mind, please excuse this truncated – yet still totally great – episode ringing in our grand thirtieth.
We’ve reached Episode 29 of the Safe Spaces Podcast, and things are looking pretty peachy all-around. Seems there’s a whole lot more of you listening than we thought, and that’s good news. Even more good news is that you seem to like what we’re doing, so many thanks and salutations all-around.
Our hosts mix things up a bit for Episode 28 of the Safe Spaces Podcast by toning down a bit of the vitriol and stupidity gumming up the works. Much of the week’s usual nonsense is left on the cutting room floor for this episode; that means minimal Trump, zero Hillary, and practically none of the usual celebrity hi-jinks that makes culling the wheat from the chafe such a delight.
The Safe Spaces Podcast reaches Episode 27 – the most dangerous number for a certain type of rock star. But our intrepid hosts are sallying forth, secure in the knowledge their sell-by date for dying young has long, long expired.
Welcome back, boys and girls, to the Safe Spaces Podcast. Were at Episode 26 now, wouldn’t you know, so perhaps it’s time for a little ghoulish fun and delight with one of our most favorite subjects: scary clowns!
The Safe Spaces Podcast reaches the all-important Episode 25 with a (slightly) late, yet still great, jam-packed show of fun and frivolity. It’s even better as it arrives just in time for your lazy, overlong Labor Day Weekend. Because that’s how you’ll be spending your day off; listening to a free-speech laden podcast about last week’s news. How very topical of you!
Welcome back to the Safe Spaces Podcast – Episode 24 is ready to roll, and we’ve got a wild one for fans and detractors alike. After last week’s depressing discussion on the racial turmoil and aftermath that was Charlottesville 2017, we figured listeners could use a break. How does a healthy dollop of the late Jerry Lewis and great Jewish humor (both Hebrew and Yiddish) sound? Shalom!
Safe Spaces Episode 22 is here to educate and diversify your life – just kidding! We’re just a simple podcast, with absolutely no intention of modifying, adjusting, or otherwise “improving” your life through cheerful corporate sloganeering and sanctioned speech.
Safe Spaces Episode 23 starts, proceeds, and concludes on a low-note as the sad events that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia soured the national mood and spirit of the nation. Our hosts have done their best on this very podcast to add some levity and thoughtful dialogue to a public discussion badly in need of both, and will do their best this time around as well. Too bad there’s so little to work with this week.
Safe Spaces Episode 21 is here; we’re totally legal now (in every sense of the word!). To celebrate our hosts offer a quick update to the Super Mario Odyssey / Sombrero situation that’s caused mass panic across the nation; you won’t want to miss that. Momma Mia!
Here at Safe Spaces we love guests; we can’t get enough of them. Which is great because we’ve got a double-dose of awesome with two sisters in every sense of the word: Lynnette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson, better known as Diamond and Silk, the fabulous hosts of the YouTube sensation The Viewers View where they hilariously voice their thoughts about “media bias, political babble, and repetitive political tactics” to their thousands of fans across the internet.
Welcome to Safe Spaces Episode 19; the theme 'o the day, sadly, is death, death, and death some more. But that doesn't mean we still can't have a little fun; especially when there's so much silliness out there worth deconstructing and taking apart as only our two overly opinionated hosts can. Let's get on with the show!
Welcome to Safe Spaces Episode 19; the theme ‘o the day, sadly, is death, death, and death some more. But that doesn’t mean we still can’t have a little fun; especially when there’s so much silliness out there worth deconstructing and taking apart as only our two overly opinionated hosts can. Let’s get on with the show!
The Safe Spaces Podcast finally reaches its coveted Episode 18; which means, in human years, we’re technically adults and do as we please. Then again, we’ve always done that, so maybe it’s not as big a milestone as we thought. No bother, because we’re still dishing out the good stuff, fresh ‘n hot and served just for you!
We’ve got a special treat for longtime listeners to the Safe Spaces podcast as hosts Anton Hill and Nathan Evans invite a guest into their protected space; Dean Esmay (aka Max Kolbe), a controversial MRA (Men’s Rights Activist), anti-atheist activist, and culture counter-critic joins the program for an extended talk about his work as a pioneering member in his chosen fields.
Episode 17 of the Safe Spaces is here – and we’re not going anywhere! On the heels of Independence Day, there’s no shortage of political outrage and general stupidity worth talking about, so let’s just get right to it. Hold onto your hats, people!
Episode 16 of the Safe Spaces Podcast arrives, and just in the nick of time. What good would your weekend be without a little dose of sanity in this topsy-turvy world of political correctness gone mad? Pretty boring, no doubt, but thankfully you won’t have to exist in such a dull world of hypothetical deprivation.
It’s Episode 15 of the Safe Spaces Podcast; are you engaged? Our fearless hosts exercise their Constitutionally-protected right to talk nonsense and hyperbole about everything and anything that came into their universes this week, which is appropriate given the widening gap between ‘accepted’ speech and that horrible, reviled alternative.
Things heat up when multiple Oscar-winning thespian Daniel Day-Lewis (The Last of the Mohicans, Lincoln) announced his retirement from acting, which prompts our cinematically inclined hosts to engage on the merits of his performances, both past and present, as well as a rousing look at the MPAA and its erratic grading scale.
Also, listen for a disappointed update to last week’s look at the controversial production of Shakespeare in the Park’s Julius Caesar by way of Donald Trump, only now with more right-wing stage crashing!
From there the guys segue right into Teen Vogue “journalist” Lauren Duca and her ridiculous (and now-deleted) Tweet about the “the most compelling DC villain” of them all – the pay gap between Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot and her DCEU costars. As it turns out, there was no pay gap (in fact, Gadot was paid higher than most superhero headliners) and you can bet all this gets discussed, including Duca’s now-infamous appearance on the Tucker Carlson program (sans bowtie).
From here our hosts move onto the topic of the moment: free speech. Or, in the cast of our poor friends across the pond, the lack thereof. From the possibility of being jailed over supposed “hate speech” in the UK to the critically important victory of the Asian-American dance-rock band The Slants’ stunning victory in the US Supreme Court upholding their right to be as offensive as they wanna be, there’s plenty to mull over and grouse about this week.
As a bonus, our hosts give their two-cents about the recent congressional election in Georgia’s 6th congressional district special election between Democrat Jon Ossaff and Republican Karen Handel (who won, btw).
Episode 14 of the Safe Spaces Podcast: meaner, leaner, and more concise than ever before! In this week’s scintillating episode our hosts talk about the latest online fury du jour that is the supposed cultural appropriation by Nintendo’s beloved mustachioed mascot, Mario, with his upcoming Nintendo Switch debut game Super Mario Odyssey.
Can a cartoon character with outrageous proportions and an exaggerated Italian persona be guilty of appropriating ANY culture, let alone that of Mexican ponchos?
From there our hosts tackle the tragic news of both the Free Shakespeare in the Park’s substituting President Donald Trump in the Bard’s famed Julius Caesar play. In a follow-up of Kathy Griffin’s boneheaded ‘art’ showcasing Trump’s severed head, the story gets more heated after the shooting of several people at a congressional baseball practice for event for charity. The gunman, 66-yaer old James Hodgkinson of Illinois, was a fervent supporter of ex-Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and a genuine loon.
It turns out that Hodgkinson also left a public trail of actual hate-speech online, calling for the death of Republicans and their ilk, as well as decades of domestic abuse allegations and questionable gun behavior. Why such a person was even allowed access to a firearm may be the most important question of all, but it’s a question that’s completely ignored by those on both sides of the political conversation one-upping the crazy talk by their constituents. Is moral relevancy really moral?
Episode Thirteen of Safe Spaces is here… feeling lucky? We wouldn’t bet the kid’s college funds on those “sure thing” lottery tickets just yet, but lucky listeners are in for one hell of a show where anything can and often does happen. Well, as long as our brave hosts aren’t hauled away for crimes against humanity. Don’t jinx them.
The sad saga of comedian Bill Cosby sets the tone; regardless what side of the disgraced Jell-O Pudding Pop pitchman’s ongoing legal troubles you fall on, there’s no doubt of his influence on not just the world of comedy, but race relations in America. None of this could possibly end well.
Anton shares updates to past Safe Spaces favorite Laci Green, the online feminist and ‘sex expert’ who recently swallowed the Red Pill by daring to engage with MRAs – Men’s Rights Activists. Apparently, not only has Laci found new inspiration from having dialogue with others, but she’s also found love. True happiness is in short supply in SJW (social-justice warrior) circles, and it seems the predictable online villains are dead set on tearing that down by any means necessary.
But the updates aren’t over yet – not by a long shot. Nate updates listeners on the critical status of Warner Bros’ blockbuster Wonder Woman, whose box-office and absurdly praised reviews may have been slightly exaggerated by the mainstream media. That’s not to say the film’s performance isn’t note-worthy (hint: it is), but the guys discuss how the desire to over-exaggerate in the name of misguided feminism actually degrades whatever goodwill a crossover icon like Diana Prince might otherwise (forgive the pun) engender.
Attention 2017 movie “critics” and activists: Sigourney Weaver and Linda Hamilton would like a few words; those with frail constitutions may want to skip this part.
Our final big story of the week goes to none other than the hilariously ill-named Reality Winner, a 25-year old contractor with the NSA charged with ‘willful retention and transmission of defense information’ for allegedly releasing classified documents to online news outlets. Incredibly, it was only after her arrest that things really started to get really crazy. Like, crazy, crazy.
The government alleges Ms. Winner not only stole classified documents about possible Russian interference, but may have horded other classified information she’s stashed away. But it’s Winner’s own words that may come back to haunt her, including an online presence that could only be called “nuts”, and at the very least disqualifying for government clearance in a sane world. Ms. Winner’s rants also (again allegedly) include sympathizing with Islamic terrorists, showing allegiances to foreign governments, and even an aside about blowing up the White House. Hmm, where have we heard that before…?
She also seems to have anticipated her self-inflicted martyr status, suggesting plans to play up the “cute, white female” angle to help make herself more sympathetic in the media. She even cites the public case of fellow celebrity leaker Chelsea Manning, who’s own 35-year sentence for leaking classified material was considerably shortened by outgoing US President Obama. Stay tuned!
A quick wrap-up includes such wide-ranging influences like gaming development god Shigeru Miyamoto (Super Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong) and journalistic polymath Arthur Koestler’s 1960 travelogue The Lotus and the Robot. Bill Cosby, The Terminator, and existential religious comparisons; where else would, nay, could you possibly get that kind of range on a little ole podcast?
Safe Spaces hits Episode Twelve! That’s more episodes than Star Wars (even counting the Prequels), and we’re doing our thing right here in our very own galaxy that’s not too far, far away. It doesn’t always feel like it, though, and thankfully we’ve got a veritable doozy of odds ‘n ends worth yakking about this week. Shall we begin?
First off: happy 50th Anniversary to The Beatles’ seminal concept album, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, released June 2nd, 1967 to enormous sales and much-fanfare. In the intervening time it’s prestige has only continued to grow, and should continue, despite the faddish preoccupation of delegitimizing anything someone, somewhere disagrees with. Did you know The Beatles culturally-appropriated teeny-bop music away from themselves? Neither did we!
Following up last week’s nonsensical hysteria over DC Comics/Warner Bros’ new Wonder Women film, the guys talk about bloated reviews and even more bloated expectations from the “right” type of content. From lackluster games to even more lackluster blockbusters, it’s a trip down the secret and often shilly world of “professional” criticism where intent and agenda matter most…even if nobody is listening. From here the guys segue into the recent video of The Mic’s Xavier Harding insistence that games like Street Fighter 2 – pardon the pun – lighten up in their depictions of bad guys with darker skin tones.
Conversations about superficial racial stereotyping in game journalism? Oh, you’ve got it!
Speaking of feminist superheroes, everyone’s favorite Fake Rape heroine is back: Mattress Girl Returns! That’s right, Emma Sulkowicz i.e. Mattress Girl, has resurfaced to once again make reporting actual sexual assault more difficult with a racy BDSM “art installation” that features the once mattress-laden “artist” clad in a US flag bikini, lashed to wood, verbally berated, complete with simulated violence and rope-tightening. Oh, and she’s totally with #TheResistance (of course), and anti-Trump. Of COURSE she is!
It’s simply too stupid for words alone, so here’s a link for those brave enough to watch the poor girl’s continuing mental illness on full display.
Of course, we couldn’t leave out the single biggest idiocy of the week, and by that we mean comedian Kathy Griffin’s bizarre decision to post intentionally ‘controversial’ images of her hoisting up a “severed head” of what appears to be President Donald Trump. Funny? Not really. But we’d expect nothing less from the world’s most popular D-list celebrity.
In a move that shocked our hosts, cable channel CNN quickly distanced themselves from their favorite New Years co-host, axing her planned appearance with Anderson Cooper. The jury’s still out if the network will rid themselves of her complete (don’t count on it), but at the time of this writing the only sponsor to wipe Griffin entirely from their ranks is the Squatty Potty Toilet Stool, which is a thing that (dare we say it) deserves better than to link its bowel-enhancing futures with a potty-mouth comedian.
There’s bound to be more dismissals coming, too, as the virtue signaling sponsors join the chorus to show their disapproval. There’s no big loss to the culture, however, as Griffin’s ads were never as great or inventive as the company’s iconic ice cream-pooping unicorn one. And…with that image in mind it’s about as good a place to wrap things up for the week.Enjoy the weekend, and just remember that it’s always easier to get with a little help from your friends. Like your Safe Space friends! Psychotropics not included.
Episode Eleven of the Safe Spaces podcast comes on the even of unimaginable tragedy; the horrific bombing of innocents at a concert in Manchester, England by a depraved suicide bomber. Our condolences and best-wishes to those affected by this senseless violence and Islamic extremism.
That said, a word of caution: this episode is especially saucy, absolutely chock-full of words and expressions that could possibly melt the less fragile defenses of unsuspecting listeners. From Katy Perry to Donald Trump and everything in-between, let this be your trigger warning. Note: Eddie Izzard makes an appearance, so it’s not all bad.
Moving forward, there’s plenty to talk about in this week’s cross-section of nonsense. First up is the inflammatory missive drafted by iO9’s Beth Elderkin about DC/Warner Bros. upcoming DCEU blockbuster Wonder Woman, arguably the first female-starring superhero blockbuster worth a damn. Titled “A Women-Only Wonder Woman Screening Is Predictably Upsetting Dumb-Ass Sexists”, it detailed how the famous Alamo Drafthouse theater in Texas would host a “Ladies Only” screening of the upcoming film, which didn’t sit well with some comic fans.
The piece spread as only dangerous viruses can online, helping propagate division and artificial sexism where there was none before. Both aggravating and puzzling, this type of SEO-jacking clickbait usually passes by our patient hosts without a second glance, but they figured the everlasting appeal of the most popular female superhero would make a good starting point for discussion about ignorant “journalism”, sexual privilege, as well as an insightful look at how the culture of “Twitter Outrage” leads many to preemptively judge and silence those they disagree with – before they disagree with them!
From here the guys talk tacos – racist, culturally-appropriating tacos, that is. The sad story about two white women in – where else? – Portland who had the temerity to open their own food wagon serving delicious, Mexican-influenced food to hungry patrons. Naturally, that two Americans of European decent would commit such a hate crime inflamed many online, as is often the case.
A look at the history of how culture evolves and spreads via gastronomy may conjure up the need to order Taco Bell, and we make no apologies. Soft tacos and chicken chalupas, please!
Concluding this week’s show is none other than British mono-named singer Morrissey, who following the suicide attack in Manchester had the audacity to share his thoughts on his Facebook page, which drew both predictable support and predictable derision from fans and detractors alike. Our hosts examine the singer’s comments and how they may not just tie into the ideology of groups, but also segue into a fun history of our favorite (and most devastating) swear words in the English language – in England! If anything helps earn us that “Explicit” podcast rating, it’s this part right here. Proceed with caution.
A final cap-nod to the ongoing agony of how both the University of Arizona and UCLA have been hiring creepy-sounding “Social Justice Advocates” to pad newly formed units to help prosecute “bias incidents” and other ghoulish-sounding crimes. Who knows, maybe even listening to this podcast could lead to expulsion; stranger things have happened!
Your friendly neighborhood Safe Spaces reaches Episode Ten! That’s right, we’ve survived long enough to reach a numerical base level worth celebrating! Speaking of surviving, did you know that Twitter banned our Safe Spaces account from existence, and without any warning or explanation? Check out the nasty message our future overlords sent our way, if you dare. Fun times in the Land of Authoritarianism, but that’s what we’re here for.
It’s an episode chock-full of juicy follow-ups, explanations, and a few surprises. Did you know Anton wanted to revisit last week’s controversial removal of Civil War monuments – and what that means for protecting both our nation’s history and the frail self-esteem that academia seems to be inflicting on countless students. Statues, institutions, and other solid rock memorabilia have managed to survive revolutions, war, earthquakes and more…but can they survive social justice?
From here the guys talk about how alternative rock duo (and LGBTQ “ally”) PWR BTTM has been devastated by anonymous allegations of sexual assault by lead singer Ben Hopkins that surfaced on feminist muck-raking blog Jezebel (they of Gawker infamy). It’s a case of he-said, she-said..or in this case, she-said, they-said, and of the confusion caused by preferred-gender pronouns and anonymous sourcing of controversies online.
Up next is newly-crowned Miss USA Kara McCullough’s making waves online with her views that healthcare isn’t a right but ‘a privilege’. Perhaps fearing a bikini-clad rebellion, she’s since spent much of her reign walking back and clarifying her position. What follows is an epic examination of not just US healthcare policy, but an edifying look at how the fashion industry inculcates self-esteem issues in women (high-heels aren’t a right, either), and how our culture encourages unnecessary angst and emotional anxiety with light-skin envy and hair extensions, especially with black women.
Our final discussed item this week comes by way of disgraced ex-congressman Anthony Weiner, who pled guilty to sending illicit messages to a 15-year old girl. Our hosts use this occasion to also discuss – what else? – President Donald Trump and his detractors’ never-ending campaign to have him removed from office (not like The Donald’s not making it any easier for them). From the dismissal of FBI Director James Comey, allegations that Trump interfered with a federal investigation, and the general madness that continues to make up nearly all of ‘professional’ journalism. Buckle up, friends, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.
To wrap things up our wildly original hosts have a fun follow-up to last episode’s irreverent collection of new Psy videos; did you recognize a fellow YouTube sensation lurking in the background of his video “I Luv It”? If you’re obsessed with clicks, likes, and shares, you’re looking at the sensation that is Japanese entertainer Kazuhiko Kosaka and his irresistible Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen (PPAP). Yes, yes, we’re super-late here, but better late than never, right?
The Saga continues as we’ve finally reached Safe Spaces Episode Nine! There’s tons out there worth talking about, even more worth shouting about, and this week our hosts find much to munch on. Let’s get right to it!
We get feisty out of the gate with the stunning and brave tale of popular YouTube “influencer” and trendsetting feminist voice Laci Green, who’s making hay by having the audacity to question the ethics of the online SJW set – social justice warriors for you social Luddites. That a popular personality’s epiphany that open-mindedness and willingness to converse with those she doesn’t understand would – or should – ever be considered brave and insightful is mind-boggling, but that’s the world we live in. Progress!
In a week that saw President Trump fire FBI Director James Comey, you’d be right in assuming the topic would be prime material on this week’s episode. However, you might be surprised to hear that our observant hosts don’t bother with the facts and figures of this budding ‘controversy’, as there’s actual few facts and figures just yet. They don’t know exactly what happened (nobody does). Rather than simply regurgitate mindless talking points, the guys take a different approach; exposing the hypocrisy and tantrum-inducing hysteria rotting away what little credibility remains from both political spectrum that dominate US politics.
In a follow-up to last week’s Stephen Colbert packed episode, the Late Show host has kept his unfunny vendetta against the President alive and well, throwing bombs and bad jokes to make his point. However, we discover something amiss with laugh track to Colbert’s program, and bring choice clips to demonstrate. Listen as Colbert plays his all-too-willing audience like the trained seals they are, barking out the right tonally correct responses when prompted.
Naturally, Trump’s abrupt dismissal of the derided director has caused massive (and quite entertaining) conniptions with actual politicians, too, giving casual observers a look at what cognitive dissonance actually looks like in practice. No single individual has demonstrated this more then Californian Congresswomen Maxine Waters, who never fails to demonstrate the need for term limits and the importance of passing a psychological evaluation before running for public office.
Listen as MSNBC’s Peter Alexander shows an amazing level of restraint by keeping his head from exploding in Scanners-like fashion as he grills the Congresswoman over the word salad spewing from her mouth. Again, this isn’t Fox News, but MSNBC grilling Mrs. Waters. Now that’s stunning and brave. Speaking of brave, our hosts do listeners a solid by keeping the hilarious – and hilariously scary – to an absolute minimum (you’re welcome).
Capping off this week’s most distressing story bits was the news that work crews, clad in bulletproof vests and under the protection of snipers, continued to remove monuments dedicated to the “Lost Cause of the Confederacy” in New Orleans. Their removal has been just the latest salvo by supporters and critics alike to reevaluate the politics and legacy of the American Civil War, the deadliest conflict in US history.
From Mark Twain to Chicago’s public libraries to Mao’s Cultural Revolution, the guys take listeners on an epic journey through history as they attempt to reconcile the needs of government to regulate – and protect – those moments (and monuments) representing the best, worst, and most divisive parts of our shared heritage. There are no easy answers or solutions to such complicated issues, in spite of what shady politicians might tell you.
And just so the guys don’t leave listeners on the precipice of doom and gloom, they close out this week’s episode by going back to where it all started – YouTube! While we’re still a few months away from its fifth anniversary, Korean rapper-slash-color enthusiast Psy continues his mission to topple his own Gangnam Style as YouTube’s most-watched video, like, ever with TWO new contenders this week: I Luv It and New Face, both crazy colorful and both absolutely bonkers. 즐겨!
Can you believe we’ve made it to Safe Spaces Episode Eight? And with hardly a scratch, too! In a week jam-packed full of incidental cultural delights as far-ranging as Cinco de Mayo and Star Wars Day (May the 4th Be With You!), there’s nothing stopping our co-hosts from taking on a healthy mix of the biggest, smallest, and most livid banalities our culture has to offer.
A brief return to last week’s major topic, Bill Nye “the science guy” and his deranged new show about science and climate change, Bill Nye Saves the World. Perhaps you missed the show’s less-discussed ice cream orgy (yep)? We also learn that, following the chromosomal controversy about gender fluidity and hideous butt stuff hysterics, Netflix decided to clip the early sequence from Nye’s original children’s show purporting to use actual science – opposed to feelings – that demonstrated an entirely different lesson on gender dynamics. Why be scientifically correct when it’s easier just to push the delete button?
Also on Anton’s radar is Anita Sarkeesian, the controversial feminist culture critic (to put it lightly), who’s decided to end her equally controversial series Tropes vs. Women in Video Games. Never one to be outdone, our brave co-host gives Sarkeesian the send-off she so richly deserves – by paring her with Theresa Caputo, the “Long Island Medium” who’s also scammed unknowing innocents from their precious dollars.
From there our hosts venture into the dazzling spectacle of self-abortion and denial that continues to be failed Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who recently gave an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour at a Women for Women International fundraiser, a non-profit pegged at “supporting women worldwide who have survived war, poverty, and injustice.” Guests paid up to $2,500 to hear the wisdom and recollections of the first female Presidential candidate to head a major political party under the auspices of charity.
It didn’t go well.
Clinton’s interview was much-maligned, even by members of her own party, as being out of touch and void of introspection. There to help whet whistles for her upcoming book – and, as we’ve learned, to possibly launch a political movement – Clinton continued to put the blame of her failed campaign on the triptych of (you guessed it) Russia, FBI Director James Comey, and misogyny.
By using Clinton’s own words against her, our hosts dismantle the unproven ramblings and shameless charges of sexism and the mythological Wage Gap, whose existence was present in all areas of Clinton’s multiple accounts of public service. Most baffling is her claim to be part of #TheResistance, a vapid and often ridiculous hodge-podge of vague grievances that was created specifically because of Clinton’s campaign against her Democratic rival, Bernie Sanders. Appropriating the movement or Alliance?
The only major reporting comes by way of CBS’s John Dickerson, whose exclusive interview with President Trump ended with an anticlimactic thud, to say the least. This didn’t sit well with fellow Tiffany Network employee and Late Night host Stephen Colbert, who took Trump’s affront as an insult to both the journalist and journalism. Colbert then went on an epic screed against the sitting President, putting forth a stunningly crude ‘truth to power’ stance that pleased Trump detractors and set GOP panties bunching.
Colbert’s use of “dick-holster” to describe Trump’s relationship with Vladimir Putin was the sticking point for many, and it wasn’t long before cries of “Homophobia!” were heard, and a failed campaign to #FireColbert was set to motion. Our hosts delved into whether such an epic tantrum was warranted, if the jokes hit the mark, and if the ideological echo chamber we call “late-night comedy” may be getting nostalgic for the days when goading Donald Trump didn’t require this much effort.
Concluding this week’s podcast is a special message from none other than our President, Donald J. Trump, who provides perhaps the most sage advice on how healthcare should work we’ve ever heard. Who knew the orange-tinged billionaire-turned-politico could be so verbally precise in breaking down the logistics of injured feet versus taking out psychotic dictators? ¡Ay, caramba!
Episode Seven of Space Spaces has arrived, evolving from a simple refutation of the idiocy polluting popular culture and politics to more nuanced arguments honed to scientific precision.
And speaking of science, in a rare showing of singular focus, our brave co-hosts – neither of whom are scientists by training or hallucination – take on Netflix’s wildly divisive new show, Bill Nye Saves The World. Showing a commitment to research that goes above and beyond, co-host Nathan Evans watched all thirteen episodes of the show (so you don’t have to), and not only survived the experience but came away with a new appreciation for colorful adjectives. The show is, in a word, turgid.
For a show – and host – claiming to be on the side of “science” and “evidence”, Bill Nye Saves the World is anything but. Using the power of Netflix and an embarrassment of talent available, Bill’s revived beloved “Science Guy” persona could have been an educational and enlightening starting point to sharing the joys of the scientific community to those who might never have considered such things cool or approachable. Say, like Neil deGrasse Tyson’s successful reboot of COSMOS. Wouldn’t that have been something?
Instead, we get hours of badly written, poorly performed propaganda masquerading as “science”. At the center of this mess is Bill Nye’s public crusade to educate the world about anthropogenic climate change, i.e. man-made climate change, by any means necessary. To do this Bill checks off as many liberal progressive boxes as time allows: human sexuality, GMO engineering, population control, vaccinations, and pretty much any recent cause célèbre currently sending justice-minded hearts into palpitations.
Regardless of which side of the intellectual aisle you happen to fall on (that such things are even considered “political” is a sad statement all its own), those who profess allegiance to the topics covered in the show are certain to feel the shame and embarrassment as Bill and his correspondents meander and misrepresent through a cacophony of embarrassing skits, casual racism, bullying, vague assumptions, and, most egregiously, bad science and basic factual errors.
Perhaps the show’s lowest point comes with “comedian” Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) performing a now-legendary “rap” playfully called “My Sex Junk”, in which she extols the joys of butt sex, gender fluidity, and her noisy vagina. In a perfect world such a travesty would be career-killing (Bloom will be fine), but this hilariously bad and tasteless piece of musical feces should give Bill’s growing legion of detractors plenty of red meat to gnaw on.
Does it matter that Nye, whose training is primarily in mechanical engineering (and stand-up comedy), isn’t actually a “scientist” by trade? Or that many of his correspondents – the ones that aren’t models – with actual scientific credentials are reduced to producing lame segments on male beauty products and misrepresenting statistics on maternity leave? Should “popularizers of science” be held to the same standards as those who actually practice the real thing?
These questions aside, our hosts do something you won’t find in the mucky-muck of conservative media heaping spoonfuls of scorn and shame on Bill Nye: they actually come to his defense (when appropriate), refusing to cherry-pick the show’s most offensive bits out of context. All in all, Bill’s biggest crime seems to be bowing to the pressures of political correctness at the expense of open-ended scientific discovery and actual inclusiveness.
Ending this week’s show on a positive note, Anton congratulates award-winning actress Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty, The Martian) on her strategy to help end the wage-gap that many feel disadvantage female actresses in a male-dominated industry. Her secret to success isn’t a mystery, but instead a simple recipe that can easily be replicated without much fuss: when approached to star in a new production Chastain inquires what her male co-stars earn in the same film and – gasp! – demands the same.
While this may have – and undoubtedly will – cost the actress a role or two, it’s also helped keep her as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after stars. Plus, show some love for another one of Hollywood’s leading ladies, the awesome Helen Mirren, whose surprising – and very welcome – appearance in the new Fate of the Furious blockbuster proves she’s not above doing what it takes to stay relevant in her field, and have a blast doing it.
Safe Spaces Episode Six gets right down to business by taking the road less traveled with an in-depth analysis of feminist filmmaker Cassie Jaye’s controversial new documentary The Red Pill, which attempts to understand the growing phenomenon of MRAs – Men’s Rights Activists – in a world of third-wave feminism.
Should men, who thoroughly control the patriarchy and offer little more than toxic masculinity, have advocates in this crazy, messed up world? Some seem to think so, but the mere fact a documentary like The Red Pill even exists has caused its detractors to go into conniptions. The film has even been banned outright in certain circles, most likely by people who haven’t even watched it yet. That’s not the case here as co-host Anton Hill has seen it, and a series of joyful, respectful, and illuminating discussions follows.
Also fully discussed, dissected, and delineated is the recent uproar – or lack thereof – of the decision by the South African edition of Huffington to run the article “COULD IT BE TIME TO DENY WHITE MEN THE FRANCHISE?“, which suggested all the world’s problems have been caused by white men and the only fix was to take away their ability to vote.
It then came out the original article was itself a hoax, a satire written by a (gasp) white male attempting to demonstrate that certain outlets like The Huffington Post would, well, post just about anything if they agreed with the agenda presented. Prior to this, editors at HuffPo justified publishing the piece, even defending some of its more incendiary ideas. However, following the big reveal, the original article was removed.
It might’ve made an interesting think-piece, and we’d like to encourage you to read the entire saga for yourselves. Or we only wish you could, as both the article, and subsequent editorial justification itself, have since been removed. Though copies still remain online, it’s clear the lesson that Huffington Post’s editors would rather
Update: after recording this episode it came to light the article’s real author, Marius Roodt, had been tracked down by Huffington Post reporters and confronted at his place of employment, the Centre for Development and Enterprise. He has, subsequently, tendered his resignation and is no longer employed with them. Apparently, we predicted the future, though it’s distressing that HuffPo sought more journalistic diligence to cover their own asses than they were in second-guessing a piece of racist, inflammatory drivel.
And finally, the guys give Fox News’ recently ousted host Bill O’Reilly the only send-off that seems appropriate: a profanity-laced dubstep remix! Having been unceremoniously dropped by the network after several allegations of sexual misconduct, the pity host and Dennis Miller enthusiast is sure to score a lucrative settlement with his former employer after dominating cable news for nearly two decades. If you’re forced to ride out into the sun while your history is erased before your eyes, do it with a beat!
Episode Five of Safe Spaces arrives just in time for the Easter Weekend, and while our fearless co-hosts are short on chocolate bunnies, there’s plenty of juicy scandal and controversies this week to keep things hopping!
A hypothetical thermonuclear conflict over US President Donald Trump’s escalation of his Twitter war against the North Korean regime into the real thing gets things started, while things really heat up with White House Spokesperson Sean Spicer’s colossal world salad when attempting to compare Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s alleged use of sarin gas against his own people to the “relative” harmlessness of Hitler and his “Holocaust centers” to a press scrum thoroughly committed to dismantling the Trump administration at every instance.
Naturally, his comments didn’t go over well, and Sean was quickly fielding charges of antisemitism and labeled a Holocaust denier. Such objectivity and fairness in today’s school of perpetual outrage and impartial journalism!
Also monopolizing headlines was the sale tale of poor Dr. David Dao, the 69-year old passenger of United Flight 3411 that was beaten and unceremoniously dragged from his seat to make room for the airline’s own employees. Naturally, the incident ‘united’ (get it?) the world under the banner of mutual outrage, and despite attempts to impugn the good doctor’s reputation (he’s only a convicted felon who lost his license after dishing out prescriptions for sex, but who’s perfect?), a rousing discussion of civil rights and proper treatment of customers awaits.
Note: proper treatment of customers should never, ever involve dragging one out of your plane, with exposed pot-belly for all to see. Just saying.
From here the guys tackle everything from the recent uproar over comedienne Amy Schumer’s possible theft of material, the logical hypocrisy of feminists failing to riot over FGM (female genital mutilation) right here in the United States, and why overstating the reality of “rape culture” does the march towards equality no favors.
Rounding out this extended episode is something we can all get behind: the first teaser trailer for Disney’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi has finally launched, and while reaction is decidedly “mixed”, there’s absolutely no way in the galaxy the film doesn’t do bonkers box-office when it opens this December. But it won’t be alone in its conquest as Disney has signaled they’re going after the most lucrative of all fanbases – females – with a slate of girl-empowered Star Wars goodies, including the upcoming female-starring Star Wars: Forces of Destiny animated series.
Can Rey, Jyn, and the unstoppable Princess (sorry, General) Leia overcome the evils of the patriarchy and finally vanquish toxic masculinity from the galaxy in the end? Only massive viewership and brisk toy sales will tell!
Episode Four of Safe Spaces is alive and well, surviving the onslaught of weekly stupidity and abject reality of life filtered through the prism of distortion and ignorance. So much so that our brave co-hosts have developed a semblance of an actual theme about the actual, honest-to-goodness appropriation of “the moment” by outside groups. Whose movement and what groups? Best get in line now, there’s gonna be a wait.
But not before an undisputed comedy giant is given a proper send-off: the legendary Don Rickles passed away at the tender age of 90, a vintage when many of our best and brightest have learned to stop giving a shit what others think about them.
In other news, this week sugary drink giant Pepsi unleashed an advertisement featuring the latest member of the Kardashian/Jenner clan, Kendall Jenner, as a woke millennial casting off the shackles of oppression (i.e. blonde wigs and lipstick) to find the guitar-wielding hot boy in a crowd of the lamest protest-slash-party every constructed while putting an end to all that police violence stuff via the power of Pepsi.
Naturally, the disparate grievance groups were not amused to have their #Resistance so openly appropriated by corporatism, and it wasn’t long before Pepsi caved and pulled the ad, apologizing to Jenner and their customers for misjudging “the moment”.
Still, as we’ve come to expect from embarrassing (and highly profitable) Kardashian videos, you can find a copy online if you look really, really hard enough. It’s hilarious.
From here our hosts segue into the recent hysteria and advertising boycott of Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly as cable’s biggest bloviator is under attack for alleged sexual misconduct, much of which may have been covered up by the parent network in the form of payouts. Whether true or not, both O’Reilly and Fox News may not survive the sustained efforts to finally pull the cable giant apart for good; they’ve lost the majority of their founders and late-night hosts to sexual scandal and luring over the past year, and having O’Reilly’s head would be a perfect capper for the anti-Fox crowd.
Finally, the theme of appropriating ‘the movement’ continues with the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad “news” story of 18-year old Ziad Ahmed, who apparently earned a spot to attend Standford University by simply writing #BlackLivesMatter one-hundred times on his admissions essay. OK, it’s not ENTIRELY untrue, but the story presented by the media is definitely missing a few key facts: such as young Ahmed’s enormous social justice resume, which includes significant work as a Democratic Party operative, and a list of contacts and accomplishments that make him the very benefactor of the system he’s supposedly railing against: one of privilege.
A parting shot takes aim at the myths behind the gender wage gap fiction and the overall hypocrisy of Senator Elizabeth Warren (overall as there’s not enough hours in the day to cover it all) round out this week’s epic episode. Heck, we’re not appropriating “the moment” – we are the moment!
In Episode Three of the Safe Spaces podcast our own culturally appropriating co-hosts took on many things, with a special look at Paramount Studios’ controversial remake of the beloved 1995 anime, Ghost In The Shell. (Wrongheaded) cries of “whitewashing!” and lobs of “cultural appropriation!” aside, the guys stressed the importance of not judging something before seeing it.
We’ve made it to Episode 03! To celebrate, we’re also debuting a few special treats – a new opening jingle (!), a fab new website design, and even some semblance of program structure! We appreciate all the choice feedback, even if some of it made us cry. Good thing we’ve got a Safe Space for that. Did we mention the new jingle?
Things heat up with a special box-office update of Anton’s latest craze, Disney’s blockbuster Beauty and Beast adaptation, which is tearing up the charts despite having one of the most disenchanted performances by a lead actress in ages. From here the guys launch into an epic breakdown of the application of racial outrage and protest from Muhammad Ali to Beyoncé, led by none other than the NFL’s controversial kneeler, Colin Kaepernick.
From here they segue into the latest controversy du jour: Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly poking fun at Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ hairdo, which bears a striking resemblance to a certain Godfather of Soul’s classic coiffure. Apparently, this was racist, and many hashtags were launched to aid #TheResistance. Even twice-failed Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton involved herself as the Champion of Women of Color everywhere. Was anyone really asking what she thought? Anybody?
Next is the sad saga of Caitlin Miller, an adorable 5-year old suspended from school for the unconscionable crime of playing with a stick that happened to look like a gun. Yes, it’s yet another case of Zero Tolerance gone mad. Shame we live in a world where kids playing with twigs and Pop Tarts are labeled “threatening” – these are not the opinions of healthy minds.
Things wrap up with a look at the whitewashing claims against Ghost In The Shell, the latest attempt to turn Japanese anime into a blockbuster franchise, as well as the latest to become the target of cultural appropriation and racism. The film stars Scarlett Johansson as a kick-ass cyborg taking down emo hackers and sexy geisha robots in a full body suit that simultaneously leaves nothing, yet totally everything, to the imagination. A lesson into the oddly happy symbiotic relationship between American and Japanese cinema ensues, one the naysayers could stand to learn.
Episode Two follows up on the wild success of Episode One’s ‘debut’ (thank you!) without missing a beat…or should that be Beast? After some good old-fashioned anti fat-shaming analysis, it’s Disney’s live-action remake of Beauty and Beast and its sullen (human) co-star, Emma Watson that get the lead. The guys rip into the former Harry Potter star’s possible feminist hypocrisy – and totally fake nudity – on her surefire way to becoming a billionaire, so she probably doesn’t care about anything we have to say.
Also on tap is the recent racial hysteria over the 2017 Whitney Biennial’s showing of “Open Casket“, a mushy painting by Dana Schutz reproducing the funeral picture of lynched African American teenager Emmett Till that’s caused a minor hysteria in isolated pockets of New York City. It’s faux outrage at its most banal, though we manage to squeeze some surprisingly positive Whoopie Goldberg accolades from Anton. Who knew he actually watches The View?
Other topics ‘o interest include possible nepotism charges by the Trump Administration by hiring First Daughter Ivanka Trump to an official post, and the ‘temporary’ sacking of young conservative commentator Tomi Lahren from Glenn Beck’s The Blaze over her possible admission she may not tow the GOP’s line on abortion. Perish the thought!
The first ‘true’ Safe Spaces Episode 01 turns up the heat in the best way possible – controversy! Listen as hosts Anton Hill and Nathan Evans tear into the stupidity and social ignorance that is Netflix’s Iron Fist White Savior Controversy, the streaming giant’s fourth Marvel-related show and first to receive massive blowback from social justice warriors for not casting an Asian-American (i.e. any Asian-American, actually) to play a character that’s been white as snow since the 1970s.
The guys tear into the logical fallacies of social science bunk like “cultural appropriation”, “white guilt”, and other pseudo-nonsense currently bunching panties across the activism world.
Also on tap is an equally silly controversy, only much more hilarious: MSNBC’s resident snarky “journalist”, Rachel Maddow, left her many fans (and detractors) questioning their sanity after a much-ballyhooed showing of President Trump’s “found” taxes turned out to be a big nothing burger. Will Ms. Maddow weather the storm of embarrassment most humans would feel for duping their own audiences? Or will the rush to validate self-imposed hysterics and tinfoil-hat level conspiracy theories (The Russians!) help inch MSNBC’s top host a few notches closer to Geraldo Rivera level ridiculousness.
In this inaugural episode of the Safe Spaces Podcast our fearless hosts Anton A. Hill and Nathan Evans introduce themselves and set the agenda. Which is basically no agenda, except to thwart the P.C. elite while providing some necessary therapeutic value for everyone involved; listener and hosts alike.
Plus, the guys acknowledge their own reality: it’s a brand spanking new podcast, which means no listeners or any choice connections with the likes of iTunes, Google, and the rest. With luck – and more episodes! – big change will come, so get ready for a bumpy ride.